The Best Ways to Take Care of Your Chocolate Mimosa Tree

Trees like Mimosas are widespread and well-known in the South, maybe seen growing everywhere. They are tropical-looking with fern-like narrow leaves and early summer pink frothy flowers; they remind you of a palm tree. This tropical-looking plant is also known as the summer chocolate albizia (Summer Chocolate). How do you make a chocolate mimosa, exactly? In the spring, the umbrella-shaped leaves become green, but they’re a reddish-bronze or chocolate brown by summer’s end.

Planting a Chocolate Mimosa Tree Chocolate mimosa trees aren’t only beautiful because of their rich chocolate foliage; it also makes them simpler to care for. Considering that it has darker foliage, the tree is more resistant to heat and drought. Because the smell of the leaves puts off deer, your tree will remain untouched. Chocolate mimosas bloom in the late summer and have unusually coloured leaves, but their most eye-catching characteristic is their 1-2 inch spectacular blooms. The blooms have a wonderful scent and are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds because of it. The pink powder puff blooms will turn into long, bean-like seed pods that will remain on the tree all winter long. However, before you plant any chocolate mimosa trees in your yard, think again since their non-chocolate mimosa cousins have spread so far that they are now considered invasive in many places. Mimosas reproduce vegetatively and create thick stands that shade and outcompete other species of plants, including many essential natives. These pests may do so much harm to natural habitats that the Plant Conservation Alliance has labelled them as “Least Wanted.” Research indicates that cultivating a chocolate mimosa has fewer hazards than growing the species tree. This is due to the fact that the ‘Summer Chocolate’ is non-intrusive. It yields a much less number of seeds this way. To be on the safe side, call a local cooperative extension agent and check out whether summer chocolate mimosa is still an issue in your region.

Preserve the Chocolate Mimosa in good condition. Chocolate mimosa is simple to take care of. USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10 apply to the plants. When you see how fast these trees grow, you’ll be astonished! Ideally, the chocolate mimosa tree in your landscape will reach a height and width of 20 feet and more. The green species tree is larger, but this one is approximately half the size. Give the tree a spot where it gets plenty of light and wet but well-drained soil. Alkaline and salty soil is no problem for a landscape chocolate mimosa tree. After establishing their roots, trees become highly drought resistant. Slowly water the plant to promote a deep root system by letting the liquid penetrate deep into the soil. Once it’s established, the tree only needs to be watered when it’s dry outside (like when it’s hot). Yearly spring fertilization with a complete and balanced fertilizer should be performed. Pruning of chocolate mimosa trees is rare to non-existent. However, removing the seed pods from your chocolate mimosa tree may be a part of your routine if you so want. Bean-like seeds grow in long, slender pods approximately six inches long that have a straw colour and look like beans. In the late summer or early autumn, they reach their full size and maturity.